{"id":83465,"date":"2018-06-07T17:13:44","date_gmt":"2018-06-07T21:13:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=83465"},"modified":"2023-11-17T15:46:34","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T20:46:34","slug":"hitt-legacy-honored-scholarships-dr-phillips-charities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/hitt-legacy-honored-scholarships-dr-phillips-charities\/","title":{"rendered":"Hitt Legacy Honored with Scholarships from Dr. Phillips Charities"},"content":{"rendered":"
Dr. Philips Charities honored the leadership and legacy of President John C. Hitt by donating $250,000 to fund scholarships for first-generation students and presenting him with its highest honor, the 2018 James A. Hinson Leadership Award, which is named after Jim Hinson who was the former president, CEO and chairman of the Dr. Phillips Charities. The award and charitable gift were given at a May 9 retirement celebration in Orlando.<\/p>\n
\u201cA visionary leader, Jim Hinson took our organization from a successful for-profit family business to one of the region\u2019s most generous and important charitable organizations,\u201d said Dr. Phillips Charities president Ken Robinson. \u201cDr. Hitt\u2019s vision and leadership remind us of Jim\u2019s leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of the $250,000 grant, $200,000 will help first-generation students, with priority given to Central Florida residents attending the new campus, UCF Downtown<\/a>. The remaining $50,000 will support the Martha Hitt First Generation Endowment Fund, which provides scholarships for students who are the first in their families to attend college. Through a special matching-grant program, the State of Florida will contribute additional funds, bringing the total contribution to $600,000.<\/p>\n \u201cDr. Phillips Charities is helping to shape the landscape of our downtown educational ecosystem,\u201d said Mike Morsberger, vice president for advancement and CEO of the UCF Foundation. \u201cWe are grateful for this long-standing partnership and the tremendous impact it continues to have on our students and our community.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Phillips Charities has donated to UCF every year since the university held its first classes in 1968. During Dr. Hitt\u2019s 26-year tenure, Dr. Phillips Charities has invested more than $12 million in UCF and has provided a significant boost to the development of UCF Downtown. In 2016, Dr. Phillips Charities committed $7 million toward construction of the Dr. Phillips Academic Commons, the first academic building at the campus.<\/p>\n